Maine Mendoza Responds To Backlash Over Her Past Feelings For Alden Richards

Let's be real—podcasts have gotten personal. They're where people grab a mic and share their thoughts, feelings, and every juicy detail about a topic. And that's exactly why they resonate: it's real, raw, and relatable.

Maine Mendoza sees it the same way, especially with the revelations she recently shared on the Tamang Panahon podcast. But not everyone was on board with her outspoken honesty.

The Tamang Panahon podcast was curated by the Eat Bulaga team to mark the 10th anniversary of the once-viral Aldub phenomenon—Maine and Alden Richards' former love team.

"Okay, so about the last podcast episode... Una sa lahat, I didn't think the part about my story with Alden would spark controversy, let alone be a big deal, considering that everyone had already moved on from Kalyeserye and AlDub," Maine began in a statement she posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The podcast episode in question was the one where Maine admitted she had fallen in love with Alden at the height of their AlDub era. But it ended there—just a confession. The two had mutually decided not to take their relationship further, and it worked for both of them. Her revelation came after a question about whether they had caught feelings for each other was raised during the episode.

Maine's admission sparked a wave of reactions from fans—some celebratory, others more intense. The two had, after all, built a remarkable fan base that extended well beyond the Philippines.

With her admitting her past romantic feelings toward Alden came a surge of reactions (both violent and happy ones) from their fans. No one can deny that the two had a remarkable fan base that stretched out even outside the Philippines.

Maine described some of the responses as uncalled for. She emphasized that the podcast's purpose was to reflect on the massive impact and enduring love for the AlDub era. "The point of our podcast is to look back on Kalyeserye and to discuss and share behind-the-scenes stories—the untold ones—and that can include personal experiences, narratives, and sentiments," she explained.

Maine continued, "I believe it's acceptable to reflect and openly discuss them for this podcast, especially now that it's been a decade and all is well between the individuals involved, particularly me and Alden. There is no reason to exclude him from the story/our stories, despite his absence, because he was a big part of Kalyeserye—and it would have felt strange to leave him out."

Throughout her statement, Maine urged people to stop the criticisms and the bashing. Standing her ground on the matter, the actress-host strongly points out that there was nothing wrong with what she shared in the episode since it was her personal story related to the topic at hand.

"There was no malice or ill intent behind my sharing that story about myself, him, and us. There are countless other stories I've kept to myself and chosen not to share. You know how podcasts work; they can be really personal, but ours didn't even go that far. All stories shared were surface-level," she said.

Maine's statement continues with her addressing the unreasonable reactions she got from the fans following her revelation. Maine noted receiving personal attacks, demeaning and harmful comments, and hostile behavior online, all because she admitted to catching real feelings for her former love team partner.

Maine did not mince her words when she wrote in her X post, "I get that we have supporters who aren't really fans of the other, but why the hostility? Why pit a woman against a man, as if there's a competition for who's more 'successful'? Success, in this sense, is ridiculously measured and defined by career 'achievements' as if our lives revolve solely around our jobs. In the grand scheme of things, what is really there to prove? All the hatred and comparisons—what for, really?"

In the end, Maine calls on everyone to be kinder and to stop the negativity online. Life is short, she says. So, she hopes people will continue living to make life less complicated and chaotic. After all, all is well between her and Alden, and her fellow Eat Bulaga hosts, too.

"All is well among the dabarkads. We've all moved on, and the past remains there. We can revisit and reflect on the good and the bad with a peaceful heart. [...] Life is short. When our time comes and memories flash before our eyes, don't let yours be filled [with] the moments you spewed negativity online. Don't let it be your only contribution in this life."

She concluded her post, "Ang dami pang pwedeng gawin sa buhay bukod sa pagiging tambay sa internet at pagiging hater. There's another world of better things to do. Leave a better trace. 🤍"